Trace-holder



No. 606,639. Patented July 5, I898. a BAUMANN'.

TRACE HOLDER.

(Application filed Aug 28 1897) (No Model.)

WITNESSES iletree 2.

, the end of the whiffletree and prevent the en-' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GERHARD BAUMANN, or MoNMoU'rrr, NEW JERSEY.

TRACE-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 606,639, dated July 5, 1898.

Application filed A st 28, 1897. Serial No. 649,876. (No model.)

. To all whom; it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GERHARD BAUMANN, of Monmouth, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey,have invented a new and Improved Trace-Holder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Thisinvention relates to harness-trace holders; and the object is to provide a trace-holder of comparatively simple construction and having spring-pressed jaws so shaped that a trace may be with slightforce slipped over them in either direction without first manually forcing the jaws inward. v

I will describe a trace-holder embodying my invention and then pointout the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a trace-holder embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is an edge View.

The trace-holder comprises a metal socket 1, designed 'to engage over the end of a whif- The outer portion 3 of the socket is reduced in thickness, and between this reduced portion and the inner portion of the socket is a partition 3, that will bear against trance of moisture to the end of the whiffletree, which would have a tendency to rot it. The reduced portion 3 is of box-like construction, open at its outer end and also open for a short distance at its front and rear edges. Pivoted within the reduced outer end of the portion 3 are jaws 4 5, the free ends of which are slightly curved, as at 6, and inward of the curved ends the outer surfaces of the jaws are inclined at an acute angle to the socket, as at 7. The jaws are held yieldingly in a divergent position by means of a spring 8, which is wholly inclosed within the box-like end of the socket and therefore protected from moisture and dirt.

Owing to the curved ends 6 it is obvious that the jaws will be forced inward or toward each other as a trace is slipped over them, and also that they will be moved toward each other when the traceis drawn off; but the ends will have sufficient projection when the jaws are in their locking position to prevent the trace from accidentally slipping off. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent v v 1. A trace-holder,comprising a metal socket adapted to engage over the end of a whififletree, the outer portion of the said socket being flattened and reduced in thickness, a partition between the reduced portion and the inner portion of the socket, the said partition being adapted to bear against the end of the whiftletree, the said reduced portion of the socket being of box-like construction and having a slot or opening at its outer end and also at its front and rear edges, jaws pivoted at their inner ends within the reduced portion of the socket and adjacent to the said partition, the outer or free ends of said jaws rear of the said reduced portion of the socket,

the outer surfaces of the said jaws inward of the curved ends being inclined at an acute angle to the socket when the jaws are in the divergent position, and a spring inclosed within the box-like end of the socket and engaging the jaws to hold them in the normal position, substantially as specified.

2. A trace-holder, comprising a socket havingits outer portion reduced in thickness and having a slot or opening extending through the end and through a portion of the front and rear wall of the reduced portion, a partition formed between the reduced portion and the inner or main portion of the socket, diverging jaws pivoted at their inner ends within the said reduced portion adjacent to the said partition, the outer or free ends of the said jaws being normally projected through the slots or openings at the front and GERI-IARD BAUMANN.

Witnesses: I

.. WILLIAM W. EMENS,

GoRBIr S. LUKEE. 

